Bride of Sheesh Mahal - Season 3 - Part 4

(BANNER TO BE POSTED SOON) 

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Chapter 4


Khushi’s POV


What? Did I hear this right? Subhadra Raizada is proposing to me for marrying her grandson Arnav Singh Raizada? She watches the amusement on my face with steady smile whereas silence in the room engulfs us.

“You cant be serious, are you?” I ask.

“I never speak anything unnecessary. If I wasn’t serious, I wouldn’t be here.”


I turn to see my father who is as shocked as I am. Payal and her father have their jaws dropped as they stare at Subhadraji.


“This is impossible,” I add turning again to her. “You were supposed to come here to decide the fate of our jobs.”

“I never said that.” She argues. “Remember what I told you yesterday? I said I want to meet your father and would come home to see him. I never mentioned about your jobs. You presumed which is not the right thing to do Khushi.”

“Even bringing a proposal like this is not the right thing to do” I rebuke.

“Khushi, one minute” My father finally interrupts. He gets up from his chair and reaches us with his palms still folded. “Subhadraji, I am really honored and shocked both, to hear that you are proposing my daughter to be your grandson’s wife. But to be honest, this seems impossible. We are middle class people and we have never dreamed that high.”

“So if my family was middle-class too, you would have agreed to this proposal?” she debates. “Shashiji, I believe marriage is between two families not their classes. Not many might know this but both my daughter in laws were from a middle-class family. I have always preferred judging a woman’s nature rather than how much money her family has. By the grace of Devi Maiyaa we have got enough money to pamper everyone in our family and the only thing we expect the bride or our family to bring along with her is peace and love.”


I am stunned as she continues explaining the reason behind this proposal.


“Ever since I have come here, all I have hearing from people is the goodness in Khushi and I have been charmed by her loyalty.”


She cups my face.

“Even if I had searched for years, I wouldn’t have found a bride as honest, beautiful and well-natured for my grandson, like her.”


Now my father smiles. It’s like his wish has started to take a form of reality.

“I can’t believe my daughter had such a good destiny that people like you would ask her to be a part of their family.”

“No no Shashiji. It is our destiny that we are getting such a devotee of Devi Maiyaa as a daughter in law for my family. I am sure her entry in our family will turn brighter in all our lives.”


I see Babuji swallowing the aching tears in the back of his throat. He has always been worried for my marriage and now that such a good proposal has come to our doorstep I know he wouldn’t like to miss it. But as far as I know my babuji, he wouldn’t take this decision alone.


“If Khushi agrees to this, I have no problem with going ahead,” he declares.

Now all pair of eyes are on me and I am speechless.

“Khushi bitiya..” my father speaks. “What do you have to say about it?”


I bite my lip, holding every reason to snap back at them stating I am not ready for this marriage on any conditions. I can’t hurt my father like this. Wish I hadnt come before the Raizadas at all for them to see the goodness in me. Only Devi Maiyaa knew what she had planned for my future. In no case I ever dreamed of marriage like the other women of my age do. All I want is to spend my time making my father proud and do everything possible to keep Devi Maiyaa happy. How did I end up in this situation then?


*******************

Arnav’s POV


I stand before the huge bathroom mirror, turning on the faucet and splashing the cold water on my face. It was a bad dream. After all the exertion the family had to endure in the maha puja yesterday, I decided to take an afternoon nap but this horrible dream broke that peaceful sleep with its darkness. I am not someone who remembers dreams but this one is exceptional. I don’t think I can ever forget. I saw myself pushing someone in a deep dark well. Like literally.!! Why would I do that? It was horrible. The door knocks and I hear my sister Anjali calling me.


“Chotte, are you in there?”

I turn off the faucet and grabbing the towel wipe my face dry. When I come out Di is smiling.

“Had a good sleep?” she asks immediately wrapping her arm around mine.

“Kind of.”


I don’t tell her about the dream as I don’t want to scare her or change her happy mood. Ever since we have come to India, I see Di is more than happy. She lives in Bangalore with her husband Shyam and was always cribbing for us to come to India and spend some time with her. Now that we are here, she has finally come to stay with us and her husband Shyam Jha did follow. He’s one man who has constantly proved he loves my sister even more than I do.


“How did Jeejaji leave you alone? Otherwise, he’s always tailing you everywhere.” I mock.


She hits shyly my arm.

“He’s gone to call the rest of us. Ever since we are all here, none of us had the time to have evening tea together.”

“I prefer fruits for now. Oranges”

She knows how much I love oranges and readily agrees. After I promise to quickly change and come down, she leaves the room.

I take off my shirt to wear another one when the suddenly I see something on my upper arm. It’s a small bluish bruise I have never seen before. Heading to the mirror, I try to observe it closely. It feels like someone’s fingers gripping me tightly. What the hell is that? The door knocks again almost making me jerk.


“Nannav… mere bhai… Everyone is waiting for you. Lets go..”

“Hmm..” I grab a T Shirt and wear it before heading down where the family is seated. Only Daadi is missing and I know why. Though everyone is happily chatting, I feel off. Something I have never felt this easily when I was with my family. Ever since we have come to Sheesh Mahal, the property which belongs to my ancestors and as Daadi says has a history known for its love and disputes, is not someplace where I can breathe freely. I can feel it!!

Something is odd about this place. I don’t recall much about the Sheesh Mahal which is our present home for the entire family, but I do have bits of remembrance of something related to moonlight.


“Di.. do you remember we all used to play in the terrace in the moonlight?”

Di nods peeling the orange with Jeejaji.

“I remember that too” NK adds. “Hide and Seek right? We had so many secret places to hide in this palace. I can’t remember much though.”

“Same here” Akash agrees. “In fact, if we play again now, I still don’t think we can remember those places.”


I grin seeing my brothers so excited to play a silly game which used to be so much fun during our childhood. Suddenly, Daadi walks in the house and I recall where she had been. So, without delay, when she reaches us, I decide to ask her what has she spoken to the Guptas about their jobs. But before I can ask, she speaks looking at all of us.


“I have good news to share,” she declares.

Good news? I wait for her to finish.

“I have chosen a bride for Arnav and I am just returning back speaking to her.”


Everyone in the family rejoice at that information while I am still assimilating how it happened so suddenly.

“Wait a second,” I snap. “You chose a bride for me? Spoke to her? Without even letting me know?” I pause to let out an exasperated sigh. “Daadi, we had decided between us didn’t we? That you will take my choice into consideration before fixing anything then how could you just pick my bride and not even let me know who she is?”

“You know her..”

“I ??” I pause. “I know her?”


My heart pounds as I try to recall who that woman could be whom I know and the ones who can satisfy the traits Daadi is looking for in my bride? Daadi grabs my arms and smiles.

“I am talking about Khushi Gupta. I think she is perfect for you and this family.”


Everyone silences whereas my heart pounds like a Dolby music system. Khushi Gupta? That Devotee Khushi Gupta? Isnt she touch-me-not types? And wait, did Daadi speak to her already?


“You met her today?” I ask.

“Yes, I met her and her father. I proposed them for you..”

“And?” I swallow nervously.

“And she was annoyed.”


Daadi’s reply brings a frown on my face. She was annoyed? As if that woman keeps getting better proposals than mine.


“Daadi,” Di interrupts. “Curiosity is killing us all. What happened there? We need to know everything.”


So do I. I really can’t wait to know what exactly Miss Devotee answered.

“She was shocked and so was her father but when I told them how much this proposal was the best for both the families, her father readily agreed.”

“And Khushi?” I demand to know.

Everyone stares at me and my brothers have a wide grin on their faces. They obviously want me to get married soon so that Daadi thinks about their marriages too. Do hell with that! I am not going to sacrifice myself for anyone else. They can get married first; I don’t mind.


“She wants some time” Daadi replies. “Which I have given her.. three days is all she needs to come to some conclusion.”


I don’t know what to infer from that? Three days time? And what will be the outcome of it?


“What about me?” I snap. “No one is bothered to know if I like her or not?”


The room is silent all of a sudden. Daadi is confused.

“Don’t you like her?”

“Daadi we have hardly met.. I know her no less than I know a stranger..”

“Then why did you help her? How could you trust her and why did you saved her from humiliation from me? All these things no one does for a mere stranger Arnav.”

“Maybe not” I nod. “But that doesn’t mean I see her in my wife’s role. To be honest, she is not the type of woman I would ever want to see as my wife.”

“Why?” Daadi asks painfully. “She is so much devoted to everything. Right from her father, to her job, she is devoted to everything.”

“And she is also the biggest devotee of Devi Maiyaa…” I add.

“So?”

“So..” I pause recalling how Khushi always made me say sorry if I used the cuss word. How she didn’t like me to touch her.. “So I don’t think she will ever understand what I need from her.”


I end that statement there and though I think my brothers know what I am talking about, my sister, aunt and Daadi are merely clueless.


“I would say, you too take three days’ time to think about this and give me your final reply.” Daadi suggests. “Don’t be under the impression that I am going to pressurize you to get married to her. If one of you denies to go ahead with this, I am not going to force. Marriage is not a joke. I want you both to be into it because you want to see each other as life partners, not only because I want to see you together.”


Good!! This is such a relief. Now all I have to is wait for Khushi to deny and if she doesn’t for some reason, I have to deny the proposal and free myself from this alliance.


********************


It’s next morning when I decide to check the administration of the Charity Trust. I have heard a lot about the donations happening in the temple which the administration is utilizing for funding towards some good cause and humanity.


I reach that small office alone, and though my brothers had promised to accompany me, they are still sleeping home at this hour. I couldn’t sleep the whole night. Partly because of these weird dreams I have been seeing every now and then and partly because of Khushi Gupta. I wonder if I am going to see her in the office today. Not that I am excited. She’s just a mere employee and will get the same treatment as the others. So what if my Daadi has proposed her for me? Damn!! That one thought tickles every fiber inside my body.


“Soham, give me those files too from the desk.” I hear her voice.


Turning to the left, I find Khushi Gupta in a simple pink salwar suit, climbed the wooden stairs of the store room to keep some old files on the rack above. Soham is a small boy of around 14 years old helping her pass the files. She hasn’t noticed me yet in the room but Soham has. The moment Soham sees me he shies and runs out. What the !! Khushi definitely doesn’t know these changes yet.


“Soham come on, pass me few more files.. We have a lot more work to do before that Akdoo Singh Raizada comes in the office.”


F***!! Did she call me akdoo? (Stubborn?)

She waves her arm to grab the files which she thinks soham will pass on to her but when that doesn’t happen, she turns behind and sees me instead.


The next moment her eyes widen in shock and she loses her balance from the wooden stairs, ending up falling on me and we both land on the floor in no time, with files and papers scattered all around us.. I am the one to land on the floor first, directly, with Miss Gupta above me. She’s safe and unhurt unlike me whose back is aches like hell.


“Aap??” she tries to get up but loses her balance and slips back on my chest. Damn!! She’s soft!! And a part of me doesn’t want to let her go.. doesn’t want to change our position.. doesn’t want to lose this touch of our bodies. Damn!! What the hell is wrong with me? “Oucchh” she struggles to entangle herself from my body.

“Wait..” I shout, forcing her to stop her attempts.

She obeys me and, in a minute, I help her rise and soon follow the same. She stare at the files and papers sighing loudly.

“My two-hour work is gone in vain.”

Does she mean I am the one responsible.? How dare she?

“Arent you from the accounting team? What the hell are you doing in the Store room then?”

“Hell nahi… heaven.. Keep thinking about heaven. Devi Maiyaa likes people who are positive..”

“What the..”

“stop” she interrupts loudly this time. “Please stop saying that after every sentence.”

“I wont..” I mutter. “What will you do?”


She stares at me in disbelief.

“I will do what I plan to do ever since your grandmother has proposed me. And that is REJECT marrying you.” she speaks in a threatening tone.

“As if I am dying to marry you..” I mock.


The next instant I try to turn but my back hurts severely.


“Damn!!” I yelp rubbing my lower back, alerting Khushi Gupta’s soft side.

“What happened? Is it aching?”

“Very much. All thanks to you. I didn’t know that a tiny woman like you can be so hard on my body!”


She rolls her eyes and then the next minute, she drags me to the nearest sofa.

“Sit here.. I will get a hot-water bag. You should feel better.”

“No thanks.. I’ll manage.”

“For once let me take the lead. I know how much you like to keep things your way but this time I feel sorry for hurting you like that even if it was unintentionally. So please.. let me heal you..”


The way she said ‘Let me heal you’ brings my smile back. I don’t know why and I hope I am not grinning seeing her hurrying out to fetch a hot-water bag for me. Damn… my back really hurts.


To be Continued.

NEXT PART

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Standalone Enemies to Lovers Romance Novel

Jhanvi Sikand
I was supposed to marry my childhood friend, Mohit Raichand. Call it fate or destiny, I tied the knot with the Forbidden Heir of the Raichand family – Aarav Raichand, instead. I knew nothing about him except that he used me as a pawn to start a war to snatch from the Raichands what was legally his.

Aarav Raichand
Despite being the firstborn in the Raichand family, they forbade me from the rights and tags I should legally own. My father was secretly married to my mother, his middle-class lady love. Yet my egoistic grandmother got him re-married to another woman from her rich circle. She considers their offspring, Mohit Raichand, as the true heir of the family now. I would have ignored it all had her actions not taken my mother’s life. I pledged on my mother’s grave to crush the ego of my grandmother and snatch what is rightfully mine, including the woman she was getting Mohit married to.

A Fight for dominance altered to War for Love. One war, Three Lives, Only Two could survive.

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